Oral

Over one million men are incarcerated in federal/state prison in the US. Of particular interest is the disproportionately high prevalence of HIV infection in US prisons. Thus, there is concern about how HIV is being transmitted within this context. In this session, participants will first learn about the specific criminal laws which prohibit HIV-positive persons from engaging in sexual activities without first disclosing their seropositive status to sex partners. A mathematical model will be used to assess the effectiveness of these laws in reducing HIV transmission risk. The focus of the second personation is the number of men who become HIV infected as a result of a prison rape. Similar to the 1st presentation, a mathematical model of HIV transmission was used to estimate the likelihood of HIV transmission among an incarcerated man who had been raped. In the third presentation, the prison context is expanded to examine mental health issues among HIV positive inmates and the identification of community needs and individual coping skills. The final presentation will discuss how to reduce HIV and partner violence risk among women with recent involvement in the criminal justice system.

Session Objectives: 1. Articulate risk behaviors, mental health issues, and HIV transmission rates within the US prisons. 2. Recognize the value and utility of applying mathematical models to estimate the number of HIV infections with the US prisons. 3. Describe issues unique to women who have been involved in the criminal justice system.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing